Healing & Recovery, a Zoom fanfiction
by Sairahiniel SakuraAeris1497
Summary: The members of Zenith lead their separate lives but Connor feels depressed and needs a cure for his guilt. A chance encounter with a new member helps him find a cure for his guilt & heal another while healing himself. Connor/OC. Rated T just to be on the safe side.
1. Cure Acquired!

Healing & Recovery

*AN: Hey, ladies & gentleman, Sairahiniel SakuraAeris1497 here! What's up? I hope those of you following my account are enjoying the fanfiction I've been writing. I had an idea of a Zoom fanfiction after watching the movie recently and I wanted to do a Conner/OC fanfiction, set after the events of the movie. Please let me know if my OC comes across as Mary Sue-ish or if I'm not portraying the characters correctly. I do not own Zenith, Zoom, or any other references from the movie. Please enjoy & thank you for your time and consideration. Your comments and feedback really help so once again, thanks and good luck to any future authors and writers out there. Luv u!*

Chapter 1: Cure Acquired!

It had been 4 months since the events of the battle at Area 52, and everyone had gone their seperate ways; they had their own life's to live, after all: Cindy was in kindergarten, doing various school plays and using her strength to help out around school, literally. Tucker made it on the school soccer team and was adored by all his teammates for his goal saves. Dylan and Summer led a good love-life as the young man stopped making 'Code Dylans' and Summer joined the cheerleading squad, finally going from a loser to a popular girl in a matter of months. Connor, however, had a difficult time compared to his teammates. He still felt guilt and grief over killing his old teammates 30 years ago, almost killing Jack and Cindy, and everything in between thus far. Jack and Marsha, as well as the others tried to help him recover, but it just wasn't working out for them. They had all tried everything, but they needed someone with a better approach. Someone who had gone through the same kind of pain as Connor. All they needed was someone who could heal someone who felt like all hope was lost, a chance encounter, perhaps...

Jack and Marsha were sitting in the female scientist's office, thinking about how to help Connor. He had been having nightmares for the past couple of weeks, recently, and only sedatives made him sleep. They needed to find him a cure and they needed to find it fast before Connor began taking his anger out on himself. Just as they started to think again, a message came in on Marsha's computer. It was from Grant and it read:

'Marsha, Jack,  
You are never going to believe this! I have found someone with special abilities while out and about in town. I don't know what to call it other than telepathy of some sort. We could find use for their gift somehow and maybe they can be of use to Zenith. The person I speak of is a young girl of about 18 from looks alone. She doesn't say much, technically anything at all, but she is very kind and gentle. She goes to the same school as Dylan, Summer, and Connor but she is never in their classes, or maybe she is. Who knows? I certainly don't. I will send her to you at 8 a.m. Don't be late! Other than that, good luck and please make her feel welcome. Go Team Zenith!

-Grant.'

Marsha and Jack read the message, often doing double takes and blinking their eyes repeatingly. They stared at the screen for several minutes before Marsha gasped, "A new...m-member? So soon?"

"Well, Zenith's popular now, so who wouldn't join? They come for me, you know?"

"Oh really? I thought they came to save the world, not for looking at flab."

"Well, they do but-Hey!" Marsha giggled innocently at Jack's reaction before the laughter subsided into complete silence. The two stared at each other before Jack sighed, "So, we have to meet this girl tomorrow at 8?"

"That's what Grant said."

"Well, as much as I like sleeping in, adding a new 'family' member is a big thing for this group. We can always find a use for a telepath and maybe, she may be the 'one' that can help us with our problem."

"I like your thinking, Jack. Let's just hope she is the one."

"I hope so too...Well, I'm going to bed, so I'll see you on the morning. Goodnight, Marsha."

"Goodnight, Jack." The man departed from the office and made it to his bedroom, sleeping peacefully for the night. In that night, no sound came from Connor's bedroom but Jack still worried for his brother. Never in his life had he seen a man so scared of a distant memory. Connor had almost CRIED just thinking about those 30 years ago and it caused emotions and pangs of guilt and grief to his heart that were not normally shown to the world. Connor was depressed and needed a cure, but no one knew how to help him. Not even Summer could help him and she was an empath! Connor needed to see pain in another's eyes, to help someone who was struggling recover. If he could help someone else, maybe he cold heal himself and who knows? Maybe something good could come out of it. Jack smiled in his sleep, thinking about this mystery girl and how she could help Connor in her own special way.

Beep! Beep! Beep!- The noise was heard as loud as a siren. Jack tossed and turned as he reached for that stupid alarm clock. He squirmed to find that darned clock before he finally shot out of bed like a cheetah and slammed the button, ceasing that blasted beeping. He groggily rubbed his eyes down to his jaw as he rolled out of bed to get ready to meet the new member of Zenith. He did his daily routine of brushing his teeth, putting on a fresh shirt and pants, and brushing his hair (well, at least what hair he had left). He quickly ate in the mess hall before he met Marsha outside her office. The two walked to the lab together when Grant approached them, "Oh, you're early!"

"Yeah, we are." Jack sighed before he yawned.

"Where is she?" Marsha asked, looking around for the girl.

"Who?" Grant cocked his head, confused, before Marsha exclaimed, "The girl!"

"Oh, the girl! Right! Follow me and introduce you two." The two followed Grant down the hallway until they reached an ivory door. The door slid open and revealed a room where a young girl, technically young lady, was awake and reading a book. As soon as the door opened, the woman rose from the chair she sat on and greeted Grant with a chaste yet gentle nod. Marsha smiled at the girl while Jack just stared with his arms crossed over his chest. "Hello, my dear. I'm Marsha and this is my partner, Jack. We're the leaders of the new Team Zenith and it's nice to have you here. Welcome to the family."

"Yeah-Uhh-What she said! Welcome to the family." Jack stuttered as he struggled to stay awake before the girl giggled innocently. She struggled to stop the urge to laugh but found it difficult and let loose some giggles. Marsha looked to Grant and inquired, "Does she speak, Grant, or is she mute?"

"She is neither, Doctor. She is capable of talking but she's very shy and prefers to use telepathy to communicate. I hope this won't interfere with her teamwork with the others, will it?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Thank you, Grant, and we'll be sure to make her welcome here."

"Yeah, Grant. Thanks!"

"You're welcome and good luck." With that, Grant took off to do research or something while Jack and Marsha led the girl to where the others were: The mess hall.


	2. First Impressions

Chapter 2: First Impressions

The four children were messing around, having their own food fight while Connor remained silent until...some food flew at him. Connor joined in despite the fact that he was thinking about his past and was depressed until Jack, Marsha, and the girl entered. All the team members exchanged glances before Jack smirked, "Connor, really?"

"It's not what it looks like, Jackie...I swear!"

"Oh, I know what happened and it was definitely not a microwave exploding...Anyways, good morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Shepard!" Cindy grinned while everyone else said their own good morning to the man. Everything went on as normal, almost as if it were a daily routine until Cindy noticed the strange, young woman, "Mr. Shepard?"

"Yes, Cindy."

"Who is the pretty lady? She looks like a princess." The young woman blushed as Cindy finished her statement, smiling sweetly before Jack stuttered with his mouth making an 'O' shape. Marsha decided to jump in by explaining, "This young lady is a new member to our family. She's one of us now, so I expect you guys to make her welcome and show her around. Just make her feel like one of our own."

"Yeah, we'll do that!"

"Don't worry about a thing. The girl will be one of us before the day is over." Summer added as Marsha beamed, "Great! Well, Jack and I have to run but we'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, see you later. She's in safe hands." Dylan replied as the two adults walked away, leaving the girl alone with her new teammates. The young woman looked around and took in her surroundings until Cindy interrupted her thoughts by beaming, "Hi, I'm Cindy." The woman nodded gently and shook Cindy's hand. Everyone thought this was weird that the woman wouldn't speak as Tucker asked Dylan, "Dylan, does she speak or do you think she's mute?"

Dylan shrugged as he remarked, "I don't know, dude. I wish I did." Summer stared at the girl, along with Connor until she replied, "She's neither, guys. She is capable of talking but she prefers not to."

"Why?" Cindy asked before the woman sent a message to all her teammates, " Don't be afraid of the voice in your head. It's just me using my gift. The older girl is right: I am capable of talking, but I choose not to. I use my gift of telepathy to communicate with others." The members looked at her in shock, even Summer did, until Dylan questioned, "You're a telepath?" The woman nodded as she sent another message, "Yes, I am...I actually have a request for you all: I'd like to meet you all properly if you don't mind."

"Sure thing! I'm Dylan or Houdini." The woman nodded as she went around and met all the members.

"Summer or Wonder." Another nod came.

"Tucker. You can also call me Mega Boy." Yet another nod.

"Hi! I'm Cindy but everyone calls me Princess." The woman gave another nod before she came face to face with Connor. Connor tried to remain calm as he introduced himself to the girl, "Hello. I'm Connor." The woman nodded again with a gentle smile before she looked into the man's sapphire eyes and asked, "You're Concussion, right?" Everyone stood still and wide-eyed at the girl's question as she FINALLY spoke while Connor stared at the woman, dumbfounded and shocked, as he stuttered, "Y-Yes, I am."

"There's no need to be scared of me talking and all. I know it's surprising, but don't be frightened...And Connor, it wasn't your fault. It was the chemical they hit you with." Conner looked down at the floor until the woman put a warm, comforting hand on his shoulder, beaming him such a bright smile that he formed a small grin upon his face as he grabbed her hand in a comforting gesture. The woman turned to Dylan as he inquired, "Do you have a name?" The woman thought a moment before responding, "It's Cassandra."

"Cassandra...That's a pretty name." Summer remarked as Cassandra beamed, "Thanks, Summer." Everyone got comfortable being around their new teammate as Dylan suggested, "Shall we go?"

"Go where, Dylan?" Tucker asked as Summer explained, "Jack and Marsha told us to introduce this girl to people and get familiar with her surroundings. We're supposed to make her feel welcome."

"But, she won't talk to anybody."

"She's just shy, Tucker, that's all," Summer reasoned before Dylan chimed in, "Why're we whispering?"

"I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"You're not hurting my feelings." Cassandra replied as the three team members swerved around, their breath catching in their throats as Tucker stuttered, "Oh, Cassandra. We didn't know- I mean, I-"

"It's all right, Tucker. I get that a lot when I don't speak to people and it's cool."

Dylan heaved a sigh before stating, "Not to be rude, but you're speaking to us. Why are you?"

"Dylan!" Cindy yelled across the room before Cassandra toned down the situation, "No, it's okay, Cindy. I'm used to it...There are reasons why I don't speak much or at all and I'll tell you. You're ,y new family and you have to know me to understand me. I don't speak much because I'm naturally shy and withdrawn. Always have been and always will be...I also don't speak because I'm observant and study my surroundings: The people in my surroundings, the body language of everyone around me, and even the location itself. I prefer to listen more than speak because I'm what you call a 'book-smart' or 'brains over brawn' type of person."

"Cool." Tucker whispered before Cassandra continued, "Now, back to your first idea, you wouldn't mind showing me around?"

"Not at all. You're new here and you need to learn the ropes. So what do you say?"

"I-I'd love to. Thanks."

"No problem." Summer chimed in as she grabbed Dylan's hand. Cindy grabbed Cassandra's hand and the woman took it, beaming a smile at the girl as they walked. Connor and Tucker walked beside each other while the elder man stared at the girl. In Connor's eyes, there was something about this girl that made him want to be around her more and although he didn't know what it was, he didn't care. He was entranced by her beauty even though her beauty was not perfect and just thinking about her made him smile.

The group showed her around all the labs, hallways, and every nook and cranny you can think of. Most of the rooms were white or ivory with brightly colored lights running through the sides of the walls like chemicals in tubes in the labs. Cassandra was enjoying the tour and was picturing in her head where everything was, piecing together the rooms in her new 'home.' At the end of said tour, she thanked her new teammates: "Thanks again for the tour. It really helped."

"No problem. Anytime." Dylan beamed as the group heard a group of beeping noises. They all looked down at their phones and saw the source of the beeping: They needed to get to training immediately. Summer sighed before she replied, "Duty calls. We're late for class." The group groaned before Cindy raised her hand to speak as she asked prettily, "Cassandra, would you like to come to class with us?"

"I don't know. Will I be a distraction if I do?" Summer shook her head as she explained, "No, you'll fit right in and Marsha did say to make you feel welcome. Please come with us. Cindy won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Well-"

"Please?" Cindy asked as she gave Cassandra a puppy dog pout before the woman responded, "Oh, what the heck! I can't resist your offer or Cindy's adorable face, so I'll come." The two girls were excited at Cassandra's approval as they hurried down the hall with the others, waiting to here a 'Where were you?' from Jack and a 'What were you thinking? You're late!' from Marsha. Sure enough, that's exactly what they heard as they entered the room: "Where were you?" Jack asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What were you thinking? You're late!" Marsha exclaimed as she gave the group a stink-eye. It took a while before Dylan spoke up, "We were showing Cassandra around the place so she'd feel more comfortable."

"Cassandra?!" Jack shouted before Summer stated, "That's her name. She told us so."

"She speaks?" Marsha gasped as Cassandra replied, "Yes, ma'am, I do." Marsha and Jack did a double-take as the words dripped from Cassandra's mouth, making the team bust out into a fit of laughter. When the moment had subsided, training and learning began. Cassandra sat through the whole session of the day, paying attention to small details and information being taught by the two adults. Occasionally, she'd exchange glances with Connor and his big, blue eyes before either he'd turn away or she'd blush as she turned away. Cassandra could never get over the fact that she was sitting near Concussion, the Concussion from 30 years ago, but she wasn't afraid of him and in a way, she forgave him for all he had done. Cassandra also couldn't get over the fact that Connor had such big, blue eyes that glowed like sapphires in the sun, and just thinking about his eyes made Cassandra's heart skip a beat. Connor on the other hand wasn't paying attention much as he stared at Cassandra when her attention was to the board or something. In his eyes, she was beautiful and no one and nothing could change that opinion.

When class and training was over, the members all went to the mess hall for dinner, including Cassandra into the mix. Cassandra laughed and spoke with her comrades in a way that was special to her and the group quickly included her as one of them, despite the fact that she didn't say much. When all was said and done, those that wanted to sleep did while the others stayed up until they were tired. Connor, Summer, Dylan, and Cassandra stayed up while the others went to sleep. Dylan and Summer snuggled together on the couch while Connor sat beside Cassandra, who was currently reading a book, the same book she read when she met Jack and Marsha. "What are you reading?" Connor asked as Cassandra looked up from her book and responded, "Oh, this is 'Romeo & Juliet.' It's a love story with a sad ending and although I don't understand Elizabethan language, I can still pick up the gist of it."

"Interesting." Connor beamed before he remained silent as he watched her read, paying close attention to her body language and body itself. After reading a couple more chapters, Cassandra yawned, "Well, I guess I'll go get some shut-eye. Night, guys."

"Goodnight, Cassandra." They all replied before Cassandra yawned again and went to her new room. Connor and the two teenaged lovers followed suit. As Connor made it to his room, he shut his door and took off his shirt before falling upon the bed, pulling the sheets over him for the night. As he closed his eyes, an image played back in his mind, but it wasn't those memories of 30 years ago. It was the image of Cassandra, the girl that had entranced Connor. As he dreamed of her, he thought about her appearance: Auburn hair, braided most times but it cascaded like waves down her back all the way to 2 inches above the waist, amethyst eyes that glowed bright when she smiled, and skin that glowed and was light olive. She wore jeans and a simple tank top underneath a dark, button-down sweater, to cover her body up so people wouldn't see it. Overall, she was very pretty and anyone would be lucky to have her. She was easy on the eyes and was kind according to Connor, and in a way, thinking about her soothed him way from his memories of years ago. She brought him a comfort that he thought couldn't come and the more he thought about her, the more curious he got. Connor was determined to understand her, even if they had just met and he was determined to do it alone...


	3. Training with the Family & Golden Glow

Chapter 3: Training with the Family & Golden Glow

It was about 6 O' clock when Cassandra woke up. By this time, she had gotten up to brush her teeth, shower, and put her hair up before she began training today. She was a new member after all and had to begin training very soon. The first part of her routine was to get up and brush her teeth without waking her comrades up. That proved successful as she turned on the water and scrubbed her teeth for a couple minutes before hopping into the shower for a quick wash. There were only 2 sinks and 2 showers for 6 members, so of course they had to share and take turns. The water felt so nice upon Cassandra's skin as she scrubbed the soap onto her body. When she was satisfied with her cleanliness, she hopped out, turned the water off, and dried off before pulling out a fresh tank top and robe from her gym bag, suitcase technically, and putting them on.

The next part of her routine was to brush and braid her long hair to keep it out of her face. She meticulously brushed her hair before braiding it into a ponytail to prevent it from tangling, securing it with a thin, rubber band. Then, she wrapped the braid around to make a bun, securing it with large bobby pins generally used for ballet students before she secured it all with a black hair tie. She looked in the mirror to see if she did it right before smiling and returning to her room to read more of her book. She had just finished Act 2 when an alarm went off. It came from one of the bedrooms and she could hear moaning as the person struggled to turn it off. Finally, she heard a crash and the alarm stopped. Cassandra giggled, thinking the person had either broken the alarm or fallen off the bed to reach the beeping machine, but then returned to preparing for the day as she put her book back in her bag. She heard voices outside as she listened in, "Should I wake her up?"

"No, I'll wake her up but thanks anyways, Cindy. You go take a shower before the guys." Cassandra saw a feminine figure walk to her room with a clothing item in her hand as the door flew open. "Oh, Cassy! You're up early!"

"So, now my name's Cassy?"

"I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay. I like Cassy better. Good morning, Summer."

"Good morning. Ready for training?"

"I guess. I can't hold it off any longer and I knew when I came here I'd have to train eventually, so what better time than now?"

"I guess you're right."

"What's that you got there?" Cassandra asked, looking down at the clothing in Summer's hands before the teenager explained, "Oh, this is your jumpsuit. The base has plenty of them but Marsha found this for you the night before and asked me to give it to you when I woke up. I just hope it fits." Cassandra took the yellow, astronaut jumpsuit from Summer as she took off her robe and cast it aside on a nearby chair. Cassandra slipped into the suit and it surprisingly fit fine. "What do you think?" Cassandra asked as Summer beamed, "Although you look good in dark clothes, I must say you look good."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Oh, and you'll need these too. Dog tags to wear around your neck. It helps Zenith keep track of you."

"Okay, thanks." Cassandra put the dog tag around her neck, looking down at the jewelry that read 'Cassandra Goodwin. Age: 18. Zenith Member 006.' Cassandra stared at the dog tag before Summer gasped, "Whoa! I like you hair but how'd you do that?"

"Oh, it's simple actually. You braid your hair into a ponytail braid, and then you secure it with a thin rubber band. You still with me?"

"Yeah. Please continue."

"Then, you wrap the braid around and make a bun, securing it with ballet bobby pins. Finally, you secure the whole bun with a hair tie. That's how you do it!"

"Wonder if it would work with my hair?"

"It would because your hair's not that long. Maybe I could do it for you sometime."

"Yeah, I guess you could." The two girls continued to talk before Dylan knocked on the door and replied, "Hey, guys. Time to go."

Summer sighed deeply before responding, "Oh, okay. Come on, Cassy. We gotta go to training."

"Right!" Cassandra remarked as the members set off towards the classroom. They sat down and talked until Jack and Marsha finally arrived. They were learning the basics of controlling their powers and such, again, but it actually helped them with their training in the long run. The basics were always a good thing to master and if repetition was the way to do it, so be it! They sat in that room for a couple hours before Jack decided to get their heart-rate up by placing them in the paint-ball room to dodge 'enemy fire,' in this case paintballs, and run around. As the team ran around, Connor used his sonic blasts to move the balls away from team members while Summer controlled the balls. Cassandra was doing rather well herself, using her keen eyes and Dylan's mind-sensing to direct the team around the room. Although she didn't have powers to really use in man-to-man combat, she used her eyes and telepathy to guide her teammates. At last, they hit the red button in the center of the room, ceasing the 'game' for now until tomorrow. They left the room with barely any paint on them, succeeding yet again in this 'game.'

As they left, Jack and Marsha congratulated all the members while they turned their attention to Cassandra's telepathy and leadership skills: "Nice job, Cassandra! Without you, we'd e covered in paint but I must say your leadership surpasses mine." Dylan grinned as he shook the girl's hand.

"Good job, Cassy! You're officially on of us now." Summer beamed.

"You're awesome, Cassandra!" Tucker remarked as he gave Cassandra a thumbs-up.

"Oh, I'm no one special." The woman blushed as Cindy smiled and remarked, "Sure you are! You're an amazing person, like a princess!" Cindy hugged Cassandra tightly around the waist, bringing a smile to the woman's face as she hugged the girl back. Connor even joined in as he remarked, "Good job, Cas. You make a good teammate."

"Thanks, and you're not so bad yourself. You haven't lost your touch." Connor grinned a little as Cassandra smiled warmly back at him before a blood-curdling scream was heard from down the hall. The group ran to the source of the noise and saw a crowd huddling around in the lab with Dr. Grant shooing people away as he began ordering, "Get back! Everybody, stay back! We need a medic here!"

"Grant, what happened?" Jack asked before Grant explained, "This is terrible! One of my best scientists gets hit with the battery acid we were experimenting with for a new chemical and well, she's-She's-" The room was in a panic before a silence fell upon it, everyone turning to look at the figure kneeling beside the burned, female scientist. Cassandra held out her hand as the scientist winced before Cassandra used telepathy, 'Don't be alarmed if you hear a voice in your head. It's only me using telepathy. My name is Cassandra and I'm the new member if Zenith...Grant says you've been burned, so may I see the wound?' The scientist hesitated at first, but seeing Cassandra's gentle smile, she winced as Cassandra inspected the wound. Cassandra looked it over meticulously before she took a deep breath and stared at the wound, causing a golden glow to come upon her body and hands, which soothed the woman and ceased her wincing. Everyone watched in astonishment as Cassandra healed the entire burn wound in determination, leaving only a small scar behind on the woman's wrist. The scientist thanked Cassandra for her help, earning a gentle nod and smile from the Zenith member as the burned woman was taken away by medics. Everyone was shocked and surprised at Cassandra's ability but no one was more shocked than Connor. Never in his life had seen a power like that, and with such beauty and strength! Connor was entranced by Cassandra's beauty and grace, but now her powers interested him too.

Grant determined and explained to everyone that the power they saw was that of a healer, a super healer as he put it! Although Cassandra didn't use her abilities to fight, she did use them to direct and heal her comrades. This was unusual to have someone in the 'family' who didn't have 'fighting' powers, but they were powers nonetheless and were to be used for the good of the team. With that, everyone returned to their normal duties, keeping the memory of Cassandra's power in their heads. The Zenith 'family' went to the mess hall to have dinner before showering, putting on their pajamas, and getting ready for bed. As usual, Cindy and Tucker went to bed early, with Cassandra and Connor following suit hours later.

As Connor laid on his bed and shut his eyes, he was still in shock over what just happened. He had just seen an innocent woman use a power that he had never seen before and it was a power that fascinated and interested him. As Connor shut his eyes, he heard giggling but it was not from the real world. He then realized it was coming from his dream. He was in a field near a lake and as he looked around, he saw a figure who was barefoot, sparkling with a gold glow, and laughing. It came towards him carrying a basket of multi-colored, mystical roses and wearing a thin, white, strapless and sleeveless dress that tugged to its curves. As the figure came closer, it was revealed to be the figure of Cassandra, smiling and stroking Conner's hair as she came ever closer. She handed the man a rose from the basket, but as she did so, she pricked herself, drawing blood from the wound. She winced as Connor gave her a worried look before she smiled and the golden glow surrounded her again, healing of her wound. Connor picked up the rose from the bottom before the girl leaned forward and kissed the man chastity on the cheek, blushing as she pulled away. Connor placed a hand on his now warm cheek, feeling the girl's warmth before he sat with the girl, lying in the grass as he did so. He laid in Cassandra's lap as she read her book and stroked his hair, placing chaste kisses on his forehead every so often and giggling when he'd smile at her. Just thinking about her made Connor smile, and her image helped sooth him to sleep. Everything about her was kinda magical and he was now determined to learn more about her, more determined than ever before...


	4. Of Beautiful Songs & Names

Chapter 4: Of Beautiful Songs & Names

*AN: Just wanted to let the audience know that I wrote the song used in this chapter. Once again, thanks for you time and comments. It really helps.*

Cassandra, also known as Cassy by Summer or Cas by Connor, had been living with the Zenith family for several weeks and already, she had become one of them. She was sister and second mother to many but she was a 'family' member nonetheless. As time passed, she became quite fond if Connor's company and became worried if he went missing without a trace. Although her nose was in a book 90% of the time, Connor didn't mind as he got a better chance to look at her and her beauty. She continued to wear baggy clothes to cover herself up, but she was still beautiful nonetheless.

One morning, Connor woke up one morning really early. He didn't get a lot of sleep the night before, but he was still getting up. The Zenith family had a free day today and they could do as they pleased, and Connor decided to take a walk in the woods nearby after a quick shower. As he came to the door, he paused at the doorknob as he heard a beautiful, yet enchanting sound. It was almost like a siren's song but with an angelic quality to it. Connor thought carefully about who it could be, 'Couldn't be that kindergartner, Cindy! It sounds too feminine and adult...Summer, maybe? No, she's better at dancing than singing, that's for sure! What about Marsha?...No, she never comes to this room unless she needs to talk to us or deliver a message...Then, maybe it's-" Before Connor could finish his thought, the voice was heard again. Connor cracked the door open and listened to the song, forgetting about what he was doing that day for a while as he saw the person singing. The person it came from was none other than Cassandra, the girl in his team and his dreams and her voice soothed him more. Cassandra was very average-sized but beautiful and she had C-cup breasts that showed off very well in her current situation, which made Connor feel a little hard. She wearing nothing but a thin, white, body-hugging towel around her, similar to the dress she wore in Connor's dreams, and she was undoing a braid she had put her hair into after a shower, letting her hair fall freely before grabbing a comb. She began combing her long, auburn hair, which cascaded like waves from the tight braid she wore overnight, similar to Connor's dream again. As the notes of her song came in, he listened vigilantly:

(Chorus)  
Hear the nightingale sing,  
To help the weary drift off to sleep  
Come to the light where she clings,  
away from the darkness in the deep.

I see a face in the night  
The night is cold but the face bright  
He feels so familiar,  
And this seems very peculiar.  
He seems to help lead me to the light.

(Repeat Chorus)

Sapphire eyes I see in dreams,  
When my world falls apart at the seams.  
His eyes are comforting and fair,  
He has looks beyond compare.  
I see him and when we meet, he beams.

I see his power strengthen with every price he'll pay  
However he learns to keep the darkness at bay.  
He is a man I love to be around,  
A man I recognize from the sounds.  
A man I love, day by day.

(Repeat Chorus)

How I love him so,  
Should I reap what I sow?  
He claims I'm beautiful in a gown  
He always pulls me up when I'm down.  
If only he could know!'

With that, the song ended and Cassandra went back to singing random songs and notes that she could think of. Connor just sat there at the door, listening to her sing more as he thought about her image in that room and in the dream. His heart literally skipped a beat even though nothing really happened before he knocked on the door to alert Cassandra's presence, even though he had already seen her as she called out, "Who is it?"

"It's Connor! May I come in?"

"Umm-Yeah, sure! I'll be right out." Cassandra grabbed her comb and tied the towel tighter around her as she opened the door for Connor, who had already stripped down and was currently tugging to his own red towel around his waist. "Did I make you wait long? If I did, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be! I just got here actually." Connor fibbed, hoping the woman wouldn't use telepathy on him to read his mind. After a few seconds she replied, "Okay, as long as I didn't make you wait long. I was just combing my hair."

"You didn't make me wait." As the girl walked off, towel hugging her body like a second skin, Connor gazed at her before he whispered in an inaudible voice, "Beautiful and enchanting...Extraordinary! " As soon as she was out of earshot, he shut the door and quickly hopped into the shower, letting the water hit him to relax him as he thought of Cassandra. Just thinking about her relaxed him and, in a strange way, turned him on at the same time what with her long hair, beautiful body, and all. He then started to think about her singing and gifts, therefore leading to what many heroes in Zenith need: A cool name. Connor had some ideas going through his head and wanted to make HIS opinion known, but he decided to leave the issue up for discussion as the other members would remind Jack of this and would want a say too. Leaving his thoughts to himself, Connor made his way to the great outdoors to get some fresh air before dark. As he sat in the grass, he kinda hoped Cassandra would come to him just like in the dream, but that never happened so he kept his thought to himself.

As dinner rolled around, Tucker brought out the name choosing for Cassandra, just as Connor figured he would, "Jack?"

"Yeah, Tucker?"

"When's Cassandra gonna get a cool name like us?"

"Yeah, when's she gonna get a name?" Summer asked before Cindy puppy-dog pouted, "Can I pick out a name for her, please?" Jack sighed deeply before he explained, "Well, I think that decision is up to Cassandra. Cassy, what do you say?"

Cassandra looked up before she replied, "I think I should get a name, but I would like for all of you to suggest names for me. Then, I'll make a decision."

"Very well...Umm-You can be 'Medic Woman'!" Jack suggested before Cassandra shook her head 'no.' Jack sighed and stayed silent as he looked over to Dylan and said, "You're good with names, so you choose."

"Okay, how about...'Golden Heart'?" Cassandra thought about it before she shook her head...no.

Tucker went next as he quickly suggested, "What about 'Mind Reader'?" Again, a 'no' head nod.

It was Cindy 's turn as she told Cassandra, "I got one: 'Majestic Queen'!" Cassandra looked up at the ceiling, pondering the thought before she replied, "Sorry, Cindy, but good try!" Cindy grinned sadly before listening to Summer's suggestion, "How about...'Golden Mystic'?" Cassandra seemed like she loved that name after pondering for a minute before...another no! Everyone had went and none succeeded...all except Connor who had a name in his head from this morning. Cassandra was beautiful but not perfect, intelligent but not a genius, on her toes and alert but not always graceful, and she was kind and gentle but not naive. She also sang beautifully but was not a star, but she needed a name that showed off all her qualities, a name that meant something...

Everyone pondered more names before Jack called out to his brother, "Connor, you never went?"

"I didn't?"

"Yeah, you didn't. Show us what you got!"

"I've had some names floating around and I have chosen one that shows off all of Cas's qualities...'Nightingale.'" Everyone repeated Connor's name choice before they all ad-libbed, "Nightingale?"

"Sounds like a good name to me!"

"It's pretty!"

"I like it!" Everyone was agreeing with Connor, but the final decision rested upon Cassandra and her answer was...YES! She pondered the name before she beamed, "Connor, I think your choice was accurate. I like it and thank you all for your suggestions but I'll go with Connor's choice." Everyone agreed with the decision and everything else about that night went on as normal, but this time...it was different. Instead of going to her room to sleep, Cassandra had accidently fallen asleep on the couch in Connor's lap. Fearing he would wake her up by taking her to her room, Connor slowly grabbed the nearest blanket he could find and wrapped it over himself and Cassandra, causing her to snuggle into him for warmth. Dylan and Summer didn't mind because they thought the moment was touching and as they went to their rooms to sleep, Connor remained there on the couch with the woman, stroking her long, silky tresses and wrapping his strong arms around her to protect her from harm if there was any or just keep her close to him. He saw her in his dreams, wearing the white dress as she laid down beside him, stroking his hair and chastity kissing him as he too did the same. Thinking about her made him fall more and more in love with her and from that moment on, he was willing to do anything for her no matter what.


	5. Secret Gifts from Above

Chapter 5: Secret Gifts from Above

The days passed by as normal, training and relaxing every once in a while on Jack and Marsha's request. As those said days passed, Connor and Cassandra became more fond of each other and by this point, the two were opening up to each other. But, one day, the course of Connor and Cassandra's relationship would change in either a good or bad way...

After training one day, Cassandra was once again congratulated by the group after yet another victory in the paintball room. Cassandra accepted each comment kindly but she accepted Connor's opinion greatly and laughed an innocent laugh when he had given his opinion. For the first time in ages, Connor smiled genuinely as he laughed with Cassandra while Cindy and Summer watched from afar. Jack and Marsha even watched and thought to themselves that Cassandra was the 'one' cure for Connor and that spending time with him really helped him get out of his depression. Cassandra stopped laughing to catch a glance at Summer and Cindy as they hugged and laughed together, the two acting like sisters. Cassandra's smile disappeared as she watched the two, a déjà vu feeling coming over her as she dazed out. "Cas! Cas, are you all right?" Connor inquired as he tapped her shoulder lightly. Cassandra shook her head and whispered, "I-I'm fine. Thank you, Connor."

As Cassandra gave the man a smile, she glanced back at the two girls before she screamed in pain, causing everyone to crowd around her in a semicircle. Cassandra grabbed her head, almost as if she were having a migraine as images flashed in her head. The images were of people familiar to her and just seeing them made Cassandra scream in pain. After a couple minutes of panicked tension in the room, Cassandra started to feel dizzy and/or light-headed as she swayed back and forth as Connor ran to her, catching her as she finally collapsed backwards. Connor looked at her in shock and worry as he called out for help, "Medic! We need some medics here!"

"Easy there, Tiger! I have a sedative for her." Marsha replied as she injected a clear liquid into Cassandra's arm, calming and stabilizing her body as everyone looked on at her in concern. "Do you see or feel anything wrong with her, Summer?" Jack asked as Summer looked at the girl. Summer stared at the woman as she grabbed her necklace before stating, "I do feel something in her, a power that I've never seen before...I think I should do research on it but in the meantime, get her to her bedroom immediately. She has lost her strength and will need rest to get better." Cindy and Tucker left the room to go do something productive according to the standards of a 6 and 12 year old while Marsha left to go do something with Dr. Grant. Summer and Dylan left together to do the research before Summer called out to Connor, "Are you coming with us to do research?"

"I'll take her to her room."

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay. Take care."

Before following behind his girlfriend, Dylan explained to Connor, "Summer and I will do the research. If we find something, we'll let you know."

"Okay. Good luck." Connor called out before Summer and Dylan left, leaving him and Jack alone with Cassandra. Jack offered to help as Connor held the woman, "Can I help, Connor?"

"No, I got her, Jackie. Thanks anyway."

"No problem." Jack left the conversation at that and left to go after Marsha while Connor lifted Cassandra into his arms, carrying her bridal-style to her room as he looked at her in concern, wondering what or, maybe who, caused her to collapse. As he made it to her room, he noticed it was slightly open as he kicked her door lightly, carrying her to the bed before placing her down upon it. She looked so peaceful as she laid there, causing Connor to smile and stroke her cheek as she slept. Connor pulled up a chair as he sat beside the woman, holding her hand as he thought to himself, 'Cas, I don't know what happened back there, but I promise nothing will hurt you again. As long as I'm here, you 'll be safe.'

Connor remained silent as he watched over the girl before he heard a voice, 'Don't be frightened. It's only me.'

'Can you still talk even when you're unconscious?'

'Yep. How's everyone doing?'

'They were worried about you, and to be honest, so was I.'

'So, you do care?'

'Yeah...I do.'

'It's okay because I care about you too.'

Connor comprehended what Cassandra had just said, a smile creeping upon his face as he talked to the woman with his thoughts, 'Summer sensed something in you so I have to ask...what was it?' Cassandra didn't answer as Connor looked over her. Noticing a strand of hair on her face, Connor moved it away and tucked it behind her ear before unexpectedly kissing her chastely on the forehead. Cassandra looked to be in a deep sleep or a waking coma, but she was still beautiful to Connor nonetheless. Connor stared at her and became soothed by her innocent beauty, staring at her for hours before he heard a voice behind him, "Connor! You gotta come see this."

"I'll be with you in a minute, Dylan." Connor wanted to know what was wrong with HIS Cas, but he didn't want to leave her alone. Realizing he needed to know what was wrong with her in order to help her, he spoke to her through his thoughts as he heard her say, 'You're leaving?!'

'Only for a little while, but I'll come back before you know it. You'll see!'

'Okay...Just hurry back, Connor.'

'I will.' With that, Connor kissed Cassandra on the forehead before he and Dylan made their way to the lab to look at the research that Summer had gathered. Summer used the database for Zenith and found research that matched Cassandra's symptoms, and she was willing to show her teammates so they could help the girl. As Connor and Dylan entered the room, Connor called out, "Summer, what did you find?"

"Well, I knew the Internet wouldn't do much good if you just gave symptoms, so I thought using the Zenith database would work. They keep records of all powers so it just had to be here!"

"Wait till you get a load of what she found." Dylan elbowed Connor as the 'sonic-blast hero' cocked an eyebrow and questioned, "What did you find? I have to know what happened to Cas so this won't happen again."

"I thought you might say that, so I'll show you," Summer began as the screen showed different, frozen images and writing before Summer read from the text on the screen, "Precognition, also known as Foresight, is the ability to perceive future events through the use of extrasensory perception such as dreams or waking visions. Most times, the visions are dreams that appear to the individual in deep sleep to show events that MAY happen in the future but the vision can change if the person involved changes their mind at a crossroads. Other times, waking dreams occur in which the individual will have visions while awake and active."

"Wait a minute! You're telling me she's some fortune teller or something?"

"Technically yes and then again, no."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Look here," Summer ordered as she enlarged a portion of text and read aloud, "Individuals with foresight or precognition are known sometimes as fainting or blind seers depending on certain circumstances. Blind seers are individuals with foresight that are rendered legally blind while fainting seers refer to individuals that faint during a waking vision."

"Summer, are you saying she's a fainting seer?"

"Well, no...In the paragraph below it, it says 'Although fainting seers are known to faint EVERY time they have waking visions, there are those that, in rare circumstances, faint only when sitting or standing still. The side effects of this type of fainting are temporary and will fade away in time.' Connor stared at the screen, re-reading the text that was enlarged before Summer clicked out of the database and sat up in the chair. Connor stared wide-eyed before he gasped, "She's the only one in Zenith history to have three abilities and she's a future seer! This is amazing!"

Dylan nodded in agreement before he stated, "Imagine what would happen if people knew her ability."

"No! We keep this secret and just tell everyone it was a simple stress illness or something. If people know about her ability, they'll use it to death, literally. Don't tell anyone or else I'll let you have it, got it?" Summer gazed at the two men before they both nodded. As this was being done, Connor remarked, "If anyone tries to hurt her, they'll have to get past me. As long as I'm alive, nothing will harm her."

"You sound like a 'Prince Charming,' Concussion. Is the beast falling for the maiden?" Dylan smirked before Connor looked down at the floor. Summer gave her boyfriend the evil eye before Connor answered back, "...I guess I am when you put it that way."

"Well, no matter what's going on, Cassy's one of us now and we'll do anything to help. As long as we keep this secret, she'll be fine...You're free to go now, Connor. Let Cassandra know that I hope she gets better."

"I will, and thanks for showing me." Connor grinned at Dylan and Summer a few more times before returning to Cassandra's room where he noticed the woman awake and talking with Cindy. The moment was touching to him as he watched before he decided to speak with Cas about her powers.


	6. Reopening Wounds & Comforting Sadness

Chapter 6: Reopening Wounds & Comforting Sadness

Connor rounded the corner to return to Cassandra's room after learning of her foresight before he heard giggling on the other side of Cassandra's door. The giggling was coming from the inside and as he watched carefully, he could see and hear Cindy and Cassy talking on the other side: "Do you know why you fell? It looked like it hurt."

"I don't know, Cindy, but I think it was just being tired or tense. I'm okay now, though."

"We were all so worried. Some of us thought you were dying."

"You did?!"

"Yeah."

"I wasn't dying, I can tell you that much. I'll be okay now and I wanna thank you and the others for caring about me."

"You're like a big sister to us, so we should treat you like one. You're one of us!"

"I can't thank you enough, kiddo!" Cassandra beamed a smile at the girl before Cindy pulled a card from her jacket pocket, causing Cassy to ask, "What is that?"

"I made this for you hours after you fell. I got everyone to sign it, well everyone except Connor."

"It's okay and I know that he would've signed it if he knew about it. Besides, Connor stayed with me after you guys left. He stayed in that chair for hours just watching over me and for that, I wanna thank him. It really means a lot."

"Do you like him?" Cindy blinked her pretty, blue eyes before Cassy did a double-take, "Wait, what?"

"Do you like Connor, as in 'like him like him'?" Cassandra thought carefully about her answer even though her mind was already made up about what she was going to say, but she probably knew Connor was behind the door and she was talking to a 6 year old, so she had to be careful with what she said just in case Cindy accidentally spilled the beans. Finally she used her telepathy to send ONLY Cindy a message, 'I really like Connor a lot, but I'm too much of a scaredy cat to tell him so. Cindy, you must promise me you won't tell anyone, okay?'

Cindy nodded before she beamed, "I promise. I can keep a secret." Cassy hugged the girl sweetly before she placed the card on the nightstand and replied, "Very good, Princess. Now, Connor will come back any minute, so why don't you run along and find Tucker?"

"Okay." Noticing that Cindy was getting closer to the door, Connor tried to move but it was too late! Cindy had seen him as she turned the knob as she waved, causing him to bash fully wave back. "Guess that was fast, right?" Cindy turned to Cassy before the woman remarked, "We'll, he is Zoom's brother, so I guess it 'runs' in the family." Cindy giggled innocently at Cassy's comment before she turned the knob, left the room, and let Connor and Cassy talk in a more adult atmosphere.

Connor came inside the room and shut the door, closing everyone out of the room as he sat in the chair beside the bed, leaning over to hug Cassy as she returned the embrace by exclaiming, "You came back!"

"I promised I would and I don't break my promises. How have you been since I left?"

"After you left, Cindy slipped in here and watched over me until I woke up. Then, we talked before you came."

"That's good to know. At least you're okay now."

"...You were listening in on our conversation, weren't you? I know it was you from your presence alone." Connor was taken aback at this, knowing he was caught red-handed, but he wouldn't deny it as he confessed, "Yes, I listened but I wasn't eavesdropping, I assure you."

"It's okay. The conversation was one that all of you would've wanted to hear...So, what did Summer find in her research?"

"She typed in your symptoms into the Zenith database and found only one ability that matched your condition: Precognition, also known as Future Seeing or Foresight," Cassandra looked down at the floor as her stomach dropped, causing a nervous feeling to come over her as Connor asked, "Why didn't you tell us you had such a power? We were so worried."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"In fact, we're happy that we have someone as special as you on our side."

"I'm no one special."

"Yes, you are. I knew you were special from the moment I saw you."

"You really think I'm special?"

"Yes! I and everyone else thinks you're special. Also, I have to say that if I were your parents, I'd be proud to have a daughter like you." That comment took Cassy aback as she laid down sideways on the bed, acting like she was going to sleep as she faced away from Connor. Her shoulders heaved up and down to the sound of tiny whimpers as she laid down and as Connor stared at Cassandra once more, he noticed this sudden change and neared closer to her, thinking she was hurt as he placed a gentle yet firm hand on her shoulder. She tried to turn away fully by stuffing her face into a pillow before he turned her around, making her face him. Cassy had fresh tears running down her face as she shook violently, causing Connor to feel a pang of guilt and sadness in his heart as he wiped away Cassy's tears and soothed her, "Cassy, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Cassy shook her head 'no' as Connor asked more questions, "Do I need to get Marsha? I can get her if you're hurt." Another head nod of no. "Then, what's wrong, Cas? I've never seen you like this before." Cassy didn't say anything as she fell limp in Connor's arms, embracing him tightly around the waist as he wrapped his arms around her, her sobs increasing in volume as she clung to her comrade.

Concussion was known for being a leader and a carefree type of guy, lending a hand whenever he was able to with a gentle smile on his face but never in his life did he see himself comforting someone, especially a young woman, he barely knew. A fatherly instinct in this guilt-depressed man suddenly came out as he let the woman know she was safe in his arms as he pulled her into a tighter embrace, stroking her silky tresses as he soothed her with his comforting voice and gentle gestures. Although being sentimental was not in this man's genes, he was still willing to attempt comforting Cassy as she cried in his arms because he had become quite fond of Cassy and just seeing her in pain cut a gash of sorrow into Connor's heart. Cassy, in turn, embraced the man tighter as she openly wept in his arms, letting Connor comfort her in any way possible even though she wouldn't cease her sobbing.

Several minutes went by before Cassy calmed down enough to speak to Connor as he soothed, "There. There. Are you okay?" Cassy nodded 'yes' as Connor chastely kissed Cassy's lips and wiped her salty tears away from her bright, beautiful eyes with his gentle yet firm hands. Cassy grabbed these hands and held them tight as she was asked, "Why were you crying? Was it a vision you saw?"

"No, it's just...I have done some things in my past that I'm not proud of and this makes me a bad person."

"No, you're not a bad person. Why would you think that?"

"My parents would never be proud of me, even though you claim they would."

"You're the most beautiful, talented woman that I've ever met and I think they'd be very proud of you."

"No, they wouldn't!"

"Why do you think that they wouldn't? You're keeping something from me, aren't you?"

"No, I can't relive that past! Please, no!"

"Why do you feel that they wouldn't be proud of you?"

"I'm the reason that they're dead!" Cassandra fired back as she started to shudder violently, covering up her face, especially her eyes, as Connor whispered, "What do you mean by that? You're no killer and believe me, I should know."

"I am a killer. It's because of my gifts that they're gone. I KILLED THEM!" Cassandra started to sigh in her hands as Connor sighed himself, running a hand through his brown hair as he whispered, "Tell me."

"What?"

"Tell me about them, your family."

"Why do you wanna know?"

"I've always been curious about your past, but I was always afraid to ask. I think it's time to let the truth come out. Couldn't keep it a secret forever, now could you?"

"I guess not." Cassandra laughed as she wiped away her tears before she told the tale, "I was born here in the area, not far from this base actually. I was the oldest of two children born to my parents Ryan and Savannah Goodwin."

"You had a younger sibling?"

"Yeah. A little sister, actually. She would've been Summer's age and she and Cindy remind me of her so well."

"What were they like?"

"Good as gold, I should say. My parents were human while my sister, Astrid, and I had all the abilities. I was gifted with telepathy, foresight, and healing while she was gifted with a defensive shield ability, which surprised my family but they loved us nonetheless. They wished us to live a good life, but my visions would backfire on me as they showed me something that changed my sister and I's lives forever."

"What happened?"

"...It was very late at night and we were asleep. I smelled smoke in the house and woke up, warning my family of the danger as we escaped out of the house. During the panicked commotion, my father and I made it out while my mother and sister remained trapped inside. I ran back inside to save them as the neighbors restrained my struggling father, calming him as he fell to his knees to pray that we'd live. I ran through the house and found my sister and mom collapsed from breathing in too much smoke. Grabbing my sister in time, my mom told me to protect her and stay safe no matter what and before I knew it, my mother pushed Astrid and I out of the way, leaving herself wide open to falling debris as it crushed her and consumed her with flames. To save Astrid and I, we jumped out of a nearby window and ran into the woods just as the firemen arrived on the scene, putting the fire out. Astrid and I ran into the woods and hid as we heard our father yell in pain, thinking we were dead as he saw a scrap of my clothing latched onto the glass of the escape window, a bed slipper from Astrid's delicate foot upon the floor, and our mom's charred corpse. It was just as my vision had showed me and I couldn't stop it!"

"It wasn't your fault, Cas. You didn't-"

"No, Connor! I knew I could save her but I didn't and I don't know why!"

"What about your father? What happened to him?"

"After Astrid and I escaped into the woods and found a suitable living space nearby, we remained there for what seemed like a while, but we should've gone to our father. He thought we were all dead: Mom, Astrid, and me, therefore, he lost his will to live. He died of grief after he had gone without food, water, or rest for days and when the news hit us, it crushed us. Again, I had a vision and knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't stop it."

"Cas, I don't care what you tell yourself but it wasn't your fault. It just happened."

"That's not even the half of it!" Cassandra babbled as she looked about ready to sob again as Connor held her against him, soothing, "Hey, it's okay. What happened next?" Cassandra sniffled to prevent tears before she cried, "Astrid was the next to go. I knew what would happen and I didn't stop it!"

"Tell me what happened."

"Astrid went in a fishing boat with a friend to go catch something. A storm was coming and I told her not to go, but she wouldn't listen to me even after I told her about my vision days before. I should've gone with her, but I didn't and...T-The storm consumed the boat and killed her and her friend. If I had been there for her like an older sister should, she'd still be here!" Cassandra started to cry hard again as Connor held her and although she seemed like a crybaby to many, she was deeply hurt by the loss of her family members and greatly blamed herself and her visions for said loss. Seeing that she was an older sibling with practically no family and loads of guilt left, Connor saw parts of himself in this petite seer as he held her tightly. Connor waited for a minute or two before he asked, "What about your foresight? What happened after they had gone?"

"...Afterwards, I promised myself that I'd never use my foresight again, fearing it would put anyone I loved in danger. I was a monster to be feared because of my gift, which I saw as a curse after their deaths, and every time a vision started to come to me, I willed it to leave me because I saw it as a curse. My power remained dormant for many years until today and now that they're back, I kinda wish they'd leave."

"Why?"

"Because I care about you all deeply and I can't lose anyone I love again. I don't know if my heart can bear it and I couldn't bear it if I watched someone like you die."

"If I died, it'd be one less murderer to deal with."

"No, Connor! You would've never killed your team if they hadn't zapped you with that Gamma 13. I pitied you the moment I found out and I wished to help you if I was able in any way possible. I wanted to help you and your team, but I was afraid at first."

"Why would you be afraid?"

"I thought that if I became a 'family' member to you, you all would get hurt because of me. Then, I saw how much you wished to help each other and I thought, 'Things will be different this time. Maybe this is the second chance for me to have a real family again,' but I fear I might lose you all...Especially you, Connor."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Connor...I-I love you." Connor gave Cassy a dumbfounded look as he widened his eyes and gasped, "What?"

"I-I love you."

Connor felt a lump in his throat as he managed to choke back a sob, "How could you love me, a monster, after all I've done? You barely know me and yet you care for and love me?"

"I know the real you is that smiling, handsome young man that Jack described. He's not a murderer nor outcast, but he has a good heart nonetheless and furthermore, I forgive you for all your wrongs. You're not a monster because monsters don't have hearts." Now, it was Cassy's turn to comfort Connor as she wrapped her arms around her beloved as he whispered back, "I love you too." She kissed him chastely on the forehead as she stroked his hair before the two embraced to let the other know that they were safe.

When they were satisfied with their little 'session,' Connor turned to leave after embracing Cassy once more before she called out in an urgent voice, "Stay with me tonight...please?" Connor knew he had to sleep as he read the clock, 10:00 P.M, but he couldn't just leave Cassy there alone. She could have another vision or worse and he wanted to be there for her now that he knew he loved her, so with a gentle nod and grin, Connor replied, "I'll stay, my love." Cassy beamed a smile as she wiped tears of joy from her eyes, moving over to give Connor room as he took off his shirt and laid down beside her, drawing her into his arms for warmth and comfort. She snuggled into his chest as they kissed once more before her eyes fluttered shut until morning. Connor remained awake, stroking her long hair as he thought about the events of that day. It was like a chick-flick going on a roller-coaster but it was in a good way with the ride being enjoyable the longer time went on. Cassy was more similar to Connor than even he could've imagined: They were both older siblings each with a younger sibling of the same gender as them, they both had powers along with their siblings, and both knew about grief and guilt. Connor was a murderer but was forgiven and yet he still never forgave himself while Cassy was a seer who knew the future but was too late to stop it. Both needed healing and a cure for their guilt, but with each other as support for the other, they could heal Themselves. Maybe, they could even heal each other. Putting those thoughts aside, Connor closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep to see his beloved in dream-form again until morning came to wake him up...


	7. Family Heirlooms & Nightmares

Chapter 7: Family Heirlooms & Nightmares

The next day came and went very quickly as soon as Connor and Cassy woke up to start their day. It was 6 O' clock when Cassy woke up, noticing the man holding her as she smiled and noticed how innocent he looked when he slept. Seeing strands of hair in his face, Cassy started stroking Connor's hair before kissing his forehead and tucking it behind his ear. Feeling warmth upon his face, Connor stirred awake and smiled at Cassy, who only blushed when she saw her comrade, technically lover now, watching her. Connor kissed her lips once more before he went off to shower with her following suit before the others came.

After they had hopped out of the shower, they began to dry off before Connor made his way to a mirror to slick his brown hair back while Cassy soaked the water out of her hair with a small towel. Afterwards, Connor put on some pants before he noticed Cassy beginning to comb her hair before he shyly asked, "May I?"

"May you what? All you have to do is ask me nicely."

"May I comb your hair for you?"

"Yeah, because I don't see why not." Cassy remarked as she handed Connor the comb and sat down with him behind her. Cassy clutched the towel tighter to her body, fearing Connor might see and reject her, but Connor reassured her that she was beautiful and that he wouldn't look at her in 'that' way unless she wanted him to, which soothed her a little. As gently as possible, Connor ran the comb through Cassy's long tresses, the comb gliding meticulously through the strands of auburn while Cassy closed her eyes peacefully. Connor smiled at the woman, thinking of her beauty and as he combed her hair, he noticed her fiddling with an object of some sort, so he decided to ask her about it, "Cas, what's that you got there in your hands?"

"Oh, this?" Cassy questioned, holding up her hand with the strange object in it, or on it technically, as Connor nodded in an understanding manner. Cassy gave a smile before explaining, "My family gave me this ring as a sacred heirloom. They told me it would give me good luck and strength throughout any trials I had to take." Connor stopped messing with Cassy's hair to inspect the ring: It was gold with one large sapphire upon the thin band and to him, it was beautiful. He looked at it closely before stating, "The stone 'Sapphire' is upon it. That must mean you were born in September."

"I was on September 18, 1984. Astrid had one just like it, but hers was an Amethyst stone instead of a Sapphire. That was my sister's birthstone for her birthday on February 22, 1986."

"February 22nd? That's Jackie's birthday too!"

"Really? I never knew that!"

"Well, it is..."

"What about you, when's your birthday?"

"Oh, mine is January 18, 1964, meaning my birthstone is Garnet."

"Garnet? Well, that's a pretty, red stone."

"Really? I always thought it was ugly."

"I don't find it ugly although I favor mine greatly."

"Well, I think it's beautiful, just like you," Connor smiled as he finished combing out the rest of Cassy's hair, remarking that for a man, he did a good job with her silky tresses. When he told her he was finished, she put it up in her usual braided bun style before hopping into her yellow jumpsuit. With a smile upon her face, she left the room as Connor thought more about her and her ring, wondering what other jewelry would look good on her as he went off to train.

Cassy slept in bed but her rest was anything but peaceful since her foresight returned days ago. She clutched the sheets as she whimpered, tossing and turning to the images in her head: There was an ivory building with thousands of windows, hallways, and rooms. There were computers and beeping monitors all over the place, as well as hospital gurneys and ill people in pale scrubs surrounded by nurses in white. Inside one of the rooms was Cassandra with two police officers, one male and one female. The female led Cassy to a steel table covered by a white sheet as the male prepared to lifetime the cover, stating, 'We found this person in a boat off the coast of the beach. The boat was named Voyager Siren and there were two people on it. From looks alone, we believe this is your sister, Astrid, but we need you to clarify that for us. Can you do that, miss?'

Cassy hesitated as she nodded, 'Yes, officer.'

'Are you ready to see the body? Do you need time?'

'No, I'm okay. Just show me.' The officers nodded before peeling back the cover, revealing the face some the dead girl. She was only in her Tweens and was very cute for her age. She had red hair and fair skin, but her eye color was unknown, except to Cassy. As soon as Cassy saw the body and gasped, she broke down into a fit of sobs as the female officer embraced her. The male officer covered up the body before leading Cassy out of the room, crying her poor eyes out after seeing her little sister, her best friend since birth, now dead and gone forever. Astrid was never going to graduate, never going to walk down the aisle or see her children, but Cassy might have that chance. Cassy wished it was her that died and not Astrud. Astrid was gifted in defense and protection over others and what good was Cassy? Knowing the future is one thing but predicting someone's death and seeing it come to be with your own eyes is another thing, something Cassy wished she didn't have. Like Connor, Cassy believed she killed her family and she wasn't about to forgive herself, not after all that.

Meanwhile, Connor laid in his bed for the night, sleeping as peacefully as possible after many restless nights of stress and bad memories until a whimpering sound jolted him awake. His eyes darted around the room as he sat up in bed, trying to find the source of the sound as goosebumps formed on his flesh. He started to imagine who would be making such a noise this late at night, 'Was it Cindy? No, it was too adult to be her! Summer? No, it was too innocent, and it couldn't be Marsha so it has to be-' Before he could finish his thought, a blood-curdling scream was heard, coming from Cassy's room! Connor threw himself out of that room as fast as he could as he came to Cassy's door and burst through, finding his beloved curled up on the bed, crying into a pillow to muffle the screams and sobs. Connor shut the door behind him before he pulled her into his warm arms, hushing and soothing her as he stroked her hair, "Shh. It's all right now, Cas. You're safe because I'm here."

"I-I'm sorry! I-I'm so s-sorry! I killed them, I killed them all! Mom, Dad, and Astrid!" Cassy choked in between sobs as Connor comforted her, "Shh. It's okay. Was it a nightmare?"

"Y-Yes. It should've been me! A-Astrid's beautiful face on cold steel and covered by w-white sheets! It was me, it was me!" Cassy started to clutch onto Connor tighter as she trembled against him before he suggested, "Care to tell me? Sometimes it helps to get it out there."

"It was those awful memories of long ago, the visions shown to me reappeared after many years. I-I'm frightened, Connor. What if those visions show you or anyone here getting hurt or killed? I couldn't bear it a second time!" Cassy was choking back as many sobs as possible to prevent crying in the Concussion's arms. Connor tried his bet to be understanding as he comforted the girl and replied, "No matter what happens, you must promise me that you will tell us what your visions show. I know you fear that we'll get hurt, but sometimes, life must go on. You can't let the past keep you from accomplishing your true potential. With some help and support, you'll make it through this because I know it works. It's still working and I feel like the old me again because of it."

"How did you accomplish such a feat?"

"My family and teammates helped me, but no one had a better medicine than you."

"Me? Why me?"

"Your image in my dreams, after you came here, comforted me in my sleep. They reassured me that I'd be safe no matter what, and in a way, you helped me heal. For that, I want to thank you but now, I want to help you heal, if you'll let me." Cassy breathed deeply before she stared into Connor's eyes, those warm eyes of blue that comforted her as she sighed sweetly, "Yes, my love. You may do anything to heal me. I trust you now and I love you."

"I love you too, Cas. What do you say we get some sleep? I promise I'll stay to protect you and my image may comfort you in your sleep, so do you trust me?"

"Yes, Concussion. I do." With that, Connor wrapped his arms around Cassy as he covered them up with a nearby blanket, allowing the woman to snuggle into him as he watched over her. That night, his image came into her head, comforting her as she slept so that no nightmares would plague her mind. With a gentle smile on his face, noticing her peaceful slumber, he kissed her chastely on the cheek before he drifted off to sleep for another day...


	8. Recovery in the Woods

Chapter 8: Recovery in the Woods

*AN: It's me again! Just wanted to warn you of a lemon in this chapter. Although it's weird to do a lemon in a family-friendly story, I've been thinking about doing this for so long and finally got enough inspiration to do so. Please review and thanks for your comments, they really help.*

Connor had been quite happy with Cassandra by his side, the two openly showing their love to the group, even going so far as to make it official that they were dating. Connor even considered marrying Cassy in a couple months after school let out, but for now, he would focus on his duty to Cassy and Zenith. Cassy, on the other hand, was getting better at controlling her visions and often told the group about them, warning them of things that had not yet come to pass. Although they were simple warnings, the group always listened and tried not to stray from the vision's path too far.  
At last, spring break was beginning to let out for the kids and they decided to do as they wished. Cindy and Tucker returned home to visit their families while Dylan and Summer spent some time alone at the Zenith headquarters. Jack and Marsha even spent time together as they went on more, longer dates and Connor contemplated on whether he should ask Cassy to marry him or not. He decided to wait before asking her, but he wanted to share a romantic weekend with her alone and decided on one location where he and his brother spent most of their summer vacation with the old Zenith members: A lake house not far from Zenith headquarters. 'This is the perfect place,' thought Connor, 'No rules, No adults, and we can be as loud as we want.' With that, he began packing their bags for their week.  
The spring break weekend finally came and everyone went their separate ways. Only Jackie and Marsha knew about the lake house but they didn't know what was about to unfold between Connor and Cassandra. Cassy piled into the car with Connor driving, laughing ever so slightly as Jack called out, "Have a good time, Connor!"

"I will, Jackie! You and Marsha take care!"

Marsha came out from behind Jack as she shouted, "We will! Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him!"

"Bye, Marsha! Jack! Have a good spring break!" Cassandra yelled out of the window as the car pulled out of the driveway. Now alone and with her now boyfriend, Cassy innocently asked, "I packed my bags for something, but I don't know what it is. Can you tell me?"

"Why tell you when I can show you? We'll be there soon enough and then you'll know the reason why we're alone." Cassy nodded before she took in her surroundings, trees and miles, even acres, of woods all around them. After a while, Cassy nodded off to sleep, resting her head upon the headrest as she laid there peacefully. 'A whole week all to ourselves, just how I want it.' Connor thought as he drove on, occasionally glancing at his Cassy with a smile. After what seemed like half an hour, Connor put the car in park and climbed out, grabbing the baggage and taking it inside before coming back out to wake up his girlfriend as he lightly tapped her shoulder, "Cas! Hey, Cas, we're here!" Cassy stirred awake as she rubbed her eyes and looked around before yawning, "Where are we?"

"We're here. Surprise!" As Cassy became aware of her surroundings, she saw a nice little cottage near the lake. It was a wooden lake house with several rooms, beds, and much more inside and it looked so cute just sitting there near the shoreline. Cassy couldn't believe her eyes as she gasped, "Oh, Connor! It's so lovely."

"You haven't seen anything yet. Come inside and you'll see what I mean." Connor held out his hand as Cassy took it chastely, walking up the path before Connor got the door for her. Cassy thanked him as she stepped inside and gasped once more, causing Connor to grin as he asked, "Like it?"

"I love it! Thanks for bringing me here."

"Don't mention. I thought we needed a break, so what better place than the old lake house. Jackie, the old Zenith team, and I spent our summer vacations here ever since 1972. It brings back fond memories."

"I guess you could call it a blast from the past." Cassy laughed as she uttered this sentence as Connor joined in with her, grinning greatly as he ran a hand through his hair. Connor stopped laughing for a moment before he said, "I'll put our stuff upstairs, but you can look around. Please make yourself feel at home and I'll be right down."

"Okay." Connor took the two suitcases upstairs while Cassandra explored the house, noticing many pictures of Connor and the old team. There were pictures of them in the lake, laughing and running like kids did in that day and time, or even them hanging out in the living room as they played card games by the fireplace. Cassandra studied one in which Connor and Jack were back-to-back doing a pose like Candace and Vanessa did for Busted from Phineas and Ferb. The two boys were smiling as they looked so happy together in a time long forgotten. "Jackie could never get the pose right. He was shorter than me at the time."

Cassy was startled at the sudden voice but released that it was Connor on the bottom of the stairs. She smiled and listned as Connor continued, "We kept taking that picture for hours and Ace insisted that we either do it right or do it all day."

"Ace was Jack's girlfriend, right?"

"Yep. She was a nice girl and she was very pretty. Brown eyes to match brown hair, features that I thought were pretty for a tomboy like her. She always tried to prove herself to the guys and tried to better us in everything: Fishing, running, card games, you name it! Jackie loved her very much and even planned on marrying her after graduation. I suggested one summer we send out invitations and see who'd come, but that was dismissed when Jackie changed the subject." Cassy laughed at the thought of Connor saying such a joke and pictured the awkward conversation in her head. Connor laughed with her until his laughter subsided when he continued, "After all we went through, I don't know what I was thinking. I could've controlled that power, really I could've, but I let it take over me. I let get that far and I killed them. Never in my life have I felt such regret."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Perhaps, but I could've stopped it." Connor sounded like he was about to cry when Cassy wrapped her arms around Connor and embraced him while he looked on in shock. Finally, he returned the embrace and rested his chin on her head, feeling her silky tresses upon his flesh. After a while, the two let go as Connor sighed, "Memories...Cassy, would you like to go to the lake with me? We could fishing or swimming."

"I'd love to." Connor held out his hand to Cassy as they made their way to the cool waters of the lake, the calming effect of the sounds soothing the couple as they took off their shoes. As they reached the water's edge, Connor saw an egg-shaped stone and picked it up, skimming it across the water as Cassy clapped, "Nice one, Con!"

"It seems I haven't lost my touch after 30 years."

"Hey, that's my line!"

"Was it? Sorry, it seems I've forgotten." The two laughed again before Connor suggested, "Come down here and skim some rocks."

"Okay, but I might not be good at it."

"It's okay. It just takes some practice, that's all," Connor handed Cassy a rock as he instructed, "All right, what you wanna do is skim it, so you want to face sideways, just how you would hitting a baseball...There you go...Now, don't use a lot of force as you use your wrist to guide the rock." Cassy followed his instructions as she skimmed the rock across, the rock bouncing 3 times before sinking to the bottom as Connor cheered, "Nice one, Cas! You're not bad yourself."

"Thanks...Oh, and you don't have to worry about me reading while I 'm here because I finished it. Besides, I'd rather spend everyday here with you without worrying about sone book. "

"How was the book? Did it end the way you wanted it to?"

"Well, as much as I like the main characters, they had to die in order to be in love and together forever. It was the only way the families couldn't separate them."

"Interesting. I might read that book when we get back."

"I say good luck and I hope you like it." With that, the conversation ended as the two skimmed rocks some more. After 30 minutes of that, they decided to just lie down and rest in the grass not far from the house. Cassy leaned against a tree while Connor laid in her lap, letting her comforting voice sooth him as she combed her fingers through his hair. Connor fell asleep in her lap while she watched over him, singing random songs to him as she stroked his hair and gave him chaste kisses until Connor woke up and the two decided to go in. The two found some food in the house and ate in the living room as they talked and laughed about the good old days of their youth. The evening went by slowly and peacefully, even when they went upstairs to get ready for bed late at night.

Cassy had changed into a short nightgown and was brushing her long hair while Connor was shirtless with sweatpants on as he sat on the bed, thinking about a troubling thought. Cassy noticed this thought and stopped what she was doing as she sat beside Connor and asked, "What's wrong, love? You can tell me."

"It's nothing, Cas." Connor smiled as a faint blush crept up in his cheeks. Cassy laughed at this and gasped, "Did I just see the Mighty Concussion blush so bashfully? What troubles you, Connor? You can't hide it for me forever, so just be honest and tell me."

"I'm contemplating on whether I should ask you an important question here or wait until we are ready."

"Ready for what?"

Connor hopped off the bed and kneeled at Cassy's lap as he said, "Cassandra, every since I returned to Zenith, I felt so empty and alone. I felt like no one understood me and saw me for who I really was. I wore a mask to stay strong for my comrades and family even though the mask wouldn't last. I longed for a cure to save me from my guilt and it brought me you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you understood my pain and you too knew grief. We were both older siblings with younger siblings of our own and we knew loss. I killed my friends and you lost your family to simple yet deadly accidents, making you sheltered, feared, and alone. I too felt feared and sheltered as well as alone, but I won't look upon the bad memories anymore because your image soothes me right to the core. You gave me hope that I could change and for that, I'm very grateful." Cassy leaned down and kissed Connor chastely on the forehead, joyful tears streaming down her face as Connor wiped them away with his hands. Cassy and Connor then leaned in to kiss as Connor rose from the floor and joined his girlfriend on the bed. The kiss was passionate yet tender as they embraced one another until they needed a moment to breath. The two appeared flushed and aroused as Cassy gasped, "Wow..."

"You got that right..."

"Connor, I...I-Umm-"

"What is it? What's wrong, my love?"

"I-I love you..."

"I love you too..."

"I want you and I need you...Please." Connor thought about what she said before he realized what she wanted and gasped, "Cas, I couldn't. Not to someone as previous as you. I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you."

"You won't hurt me because you've always been gentle with me. Just this once, please. I only want you...to love me, embrace me, and touch me."

"Are you sure? You're only eighteen-"

"So are you!"

"But, I should be forty-eight. I haven't aged."

"Please, do this for me, my healer, my protector." Cassy almost trembled when she said that as Connor looked on, knowing she was dead serious about this. Finally, he sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and grinned, "All right, if that's what you really want, then I'll do it just this once. But, if you feel any discomfort, let me know and I'll stop. Deal?"

"You got yourself a deal, Concussion."

"Ready?"

"I've been ready since you protected me that night." Cassy confessed as she kissed Connor chastely on the lips, tangling her hands in his hair as he embraced her and French-kissed her, showing her that he was the dominant one in the relationship. Submitting to his chaste kisses, she let him be as he kissed and sucked on her neck, earning him innocent moans from his beloved. Never before had he felt so aroused , even by the members of his old Zenith team and although he never fell for them, he was glad he didn't or else Cassy wouldn't have come into his life when she did. Just the feeling of having Cassy with him alone in this passionate moment made Connor get even harder and more aroused as he lowered himself to Cassy's nightgown. Chastely, he peeled the short gown off of Cassy as her breasts were revealed to his gaze, causing her to cover them up as a blush creeped onto her face.

Connor moved Cassy's hands away as her breasts came into view again. Cassy gave him a chaste grin as he kissed her cheek and responded, "You don't need to hide yourself for me. I won't hurt you and honestly, I think you're beautiful." This comforted Cassy a little as she let Connor gaze at her, giving him chaste glances as he kissed her neck all the way down to the valley in between her breasts. Connor gazed at Cassy before he leaned down and took a hardened nipple into his mouth, sucking on it while kneaded the other breast. Moans escaped out of Cassy's body as she gripped Connor's hair for support, urging him to go further as he smiled against her bosom. Cassy almost whined when Connor stopped touching her bosom before he repeated the same procedure with the other breast. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine Concussion taking her innocence away from her, but it was finally happening as he stopped teasing her bosom, gently gliding her underwear down as he grinned up at Cassy's petite form. Cassy gripped the bed sheets for more support as Connor took off his pants and showed off his hardened length, making Cassy feel wetter and wetter in between her legs at each glance. Connor bent down lower and gripped Cassy's thighs with his hands, gently and chastely kissing the soft and sensitive flesh of her inner thighs as he gazed down at her feminine core. He took in its smell and warmth before he inserted a finger in her, bringing Cassy into a state of pure bliss before inserting another finger. He used these fingers to widen her opening as he pleasures her with his tongue, sucking and licking her juices and clit as he did so. This in turn caused Cassy to grab his hair for support as she bucked her hips to his movements. The pleasure lasted for several moments before Cassy came in Connor's mouth, causing him to lap up most of her feminine juices before he laid down on the bed, ready for whatever pleasure Cassy was planning to give him.

Cassy grinned bashfully at her boyfriend before she took his length in her mouth, sucking and licking it with chaste kisses and greed. Connor in turn bucked his hips into her and grabbed her hair for support, almost using her auburn tresses like reins to keep her under control. He was worried he might accidently use his sonic blasts and hurt her, but that never came to be as the night went on. Cassy bobbed her head up and down with Connor's length in her mouth as he spasmed above her. When he had almost reached his limit and began whimpering in pleasure, Cassy stopped and laid on the bed as she whispered, "I want you inside of me when you release your seed into me. Please take me, Connor, my love. Make me yours forever." With those words, Connor rolled over and gently inserted himself inside Cassy, her wet entrance making it easier for him as she winced. "Are you all right?" Connor asked as he embraced Cassy close to him, her voice soothing him as she whispered, "Just keep going." Connor took this to be a command as he thrust into her deeply, letting Cassy wrap her legs around his waist to help him further. The process was passionate and romantic for both Connor and Cassy as they thrust into one another. The love-making went far into the night until finally, Connor released his warm seed into Cassy, causing her to moan as she pulled him down with her to enjoy the pleasure together. Connor shuddered against his Cassy violently as she caressed him close to her bosom, stroking his hair and running her hands down his strong, flexing back muscles as he relaxed against her. He remained collapsed on top of her until he rolled over and pulled Cassy into his arms, kissing her chastely as he pulled a sheet over them and breathed, "T-Thank you...for this f-fine night."

"You-You're welcome...Connor. Thank y-you too."

"F-For what?"

"For giving m-me love and p-pleasure beyond my w-wildest dreams. T-Thanks."

"D-Don't mention it." With that conversation ended, the two remained awake until they finally fell asleep, content to have a week to themselves where they could do as they wished. When the others would ask, they'd tell the, that they had a great time fishing and doing outdoor activities, and although they would have plenty of love-making to do after marriage, they were content with doing this process on this night. Both were slowly healing and this healing process was coming to an end as both were content with the other, determined to marry and have little children of their own. Although Connor felt like a monster, Cassy came into his life and saved him when he desperately needed her. She had saved him and he in turn saved her as well, gaining her trust, her love, and now, her innocence. On this day, their live was official and no one could ever change that...not in a million years.

~Fin~


End file.
